The costs in this guide are accurate as of 2022
It’s important that you look after the wiring in your home because neglecting to maintain your electrics properly could lead to an electrical accident, like a shock or a fire. Damaged or old wiring is dangerous and should not be ignored.
Rewiring is an opportunity to modernise the electrics in your home, especially if you live in an old house that hasn’t been renovated in years. Keep in mind that this will need to be done in line with current safety regulations.
This guide covers the average costs of rewiring a house, as well as how long it will take and other considerations you should make before getting the job done.
You could spend anywhere between £3,000 and £12,000 to have your entire home rewired, depending largely on how many rooms your property has.
Expect to pay more for labour if you live in London and the Southeast, where costs can rise by up to 20%. The prices in this guide do not include VAT.
By rewiring your house, you will also be adding value to it, because modern electrical rewiring is often an essential for new homeowners looking to buy a property. Most of all, it will make sure you and your loved ones stay safe, avoiding electrical shocks or the potential outbreak of a fire.
Because rewiring can sometimes get a bit messy, you might want to hire a post construction cleaning specialist to clean your home after your electricians finish the job.
How do you know if your house needs rewiring?
There are a few things you can watch out for when it comes to whether your home needs rewiring. These signs might be an indication that your wires need replacing, or that you need a new fuse box:
- If your sockets and/or your switches are discoloured or scorched (brown marks), this might be a sign that loose connections are causing tiny fires inside your sockets.
- If your fuses are blowing repeatedly and at random, this could be a sign that it’s time to update your wiring (but first, make sure you rule out faulty appliances, as these also cause your fuses to blow).
- If there is a burning smell in your home that won’t go away, this is also a warning sign. You should turn off the power (at the circuit) and call an electrician immediately.
- If plugging things into a socket causes an electric shock (even a tiny one) then you need to have your sockets checked as soon as possible.
- The same goes for a buzzing sound coming from your sockets. If you can hear one, then contact an electrician as soon as you can.
- Regular flickering lights, in several rooms of your house, are also a sign that your wiring is damaged.
To find out whether your home needs rewiring or not, you will need to hire an electrician to conduct an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report), in order to identify what parts of your electrical circuit no longer comply with regulations. Your electrician will then let you know what the next best steps are for your home. You can hire one here.
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It will take anywhere between 3 and 20 days to rewire your house, depending on how many bedrooms your property has.
- For a 2-bedroom house, it should take 3-4 days
- For a 3-bedroom house, it should take 5-7 days
- For a 4-bedroom house, it should take 7-10 days
- For a 5-bedroom house, it should take 10-14 days
- For a 6-bedroom house, it should take 14-20 days
How long it takes to rewire your house will also depend on whether you’re living there whilst the rewiring is taking place or if the house is empty, because electricians work faster when the home isn’t occupied.
This also means that you will usually have to remove all your furniture for your electricians to rewire your house. If that’s the case, you’ll need to hire a removal company and a storage unit.
If your rewiring requires you to remove the carpets in your home, then you’ll need to hire a carpet fitter to take up and replace your carpets. They tend to cost around £250 a day.
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How much does rewiring a house cost?
How much you end up spending on your house rewire mostly depends on how big your property is, its layout, and where you live in the UK.
Quality of fixtures and fittings can also bring costs up or down, as can how many socket outlets you choose to have installed. The below prices look at average costs for rewiring a home. Where you sit on the lower-upper price range will depend on the above factors.
The average cost for an electrician is £320 a day.
On average, rewiring a house will cost you:
| How much does it cost to rewire a 1-bedroom house? | £3,000 – £4,000 |
| How much does it cost to rewire a 2-bedroom house? | £4,500 – £5,000 |
| How much does it cost to rewire a 3-bedroom house? | £5,500 – £6,000 |
| How much does it cost to rewire a 4-bedroom house? | £6,500 – £7,500 |
| How much does it cost to rewire a 5-bedroom house? | £8,000 – £12,000 |
These prices exclude VAT but include:
- The cost of removing your old wiring and fittings
- The cost of adding new wiring to rooms
- The cost of installing sockets and switches
- A new metal consumer unit installation
- Plastering work to fill the holes created during installation
- Testing to ensure everything works properly (usually comes with a certificate to prove regulations have been met)
Though minor plastering is done during installation, you may still need to hire a decorator, carpenter, or painter. You can do this here.
We recommend you ask for multiple quotes before you settle on your qualified electrician. Tell us the size and type of property you have and get a free quote today.
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Do I need building regulations for a house rewire?
Before your electrician rewires your home, they will first conduct an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) to establish damage, deterioration, and defects in your wiring, as well as faulty connections and short circuit protection.
It’s recommended that you complete an EICR every 10 years, to ensure your house stays safe. They take roughly 3-4 hours to complete.
As part of this assessment, your fuse board will be inspected, as well as your fixtures and sockets. Prices for this service range from £80 to over £300 depending on how large your property is, and where you live in the UK.
The inspection must be carried out by a qualified electrician.
Alongside this, a full rewiring needs to be notified to your local building control department, to make sure it meets the appropriate safety requirements. When you hire your electrician, make sure the work complies with Part P of the building regulations, and make sure your tradesperson gives you all the right certificates once the work is completed.
Do I need a new fuse box?
Often, a new fuse box will be included in your package when you hire an electrician to rewire your home. Make sure you ask whether you need a new one, and whether it’s included in your quote.
A few signs that you need a new fuse box include:
- The fuses are loose or have fallen out
- Your fuses are constantly tripping
- Fuses have melted or there are other visible signs of damage and burns
- The fuse box makes strange noises or smells weird
- Your fuse box overloads due to it being overworked (an electrician can tell you if this is the case for your fuse box during an inspection)
On average, a new fuse box will cost you around £300, though this is sometimes included in your quote (as is a new populated consumer unit, £80), so make sure to ask before you make a deal with your electrician.
How can I save money on rewiring my home?
There are ways you can save money on your house rewiring. Some good tips to keep in mind before you begin looking at rewiring quotes are:
- Buy your own fittings. Often, the fittings supplied by your electrician will be more expensive than ones you can buy for marked down prices, perhaps during clearances and sales. Sourcing your own sockets and plugs can help you keep overall costs down.
- Leave your house during the rewiring. If you’re living in your home whilst the rewiring is happening, then it will take longer for your electrician to wire your house, driving up costs since they charge a daily rate. If you can stay elsewhere during the process, this will speed things up.
- Make the most of the electricians you’re hiring by getting all your other electrical work done at the same time. This will save you money in the long run, and will allow you to get other features, like smart switches, light fittings, or extra plug sockets installed as well.
If you think it’s time to rewire your home, then tell us what you’re looking for, and get some free quotes today.
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Conclusions
Looking after your electrics is a vital part of homeowner maintenance. If you don’t, you could be at risk of suffering an electrical shock, or even a fire. Not to mention that new wiring will help prevent arc faults, overloads, and short circuits, all of which lead to power fluctuations that increase your energy bills.
How much you end up spending on rewiring will depend largely on the size of your home, and where you live in the UK, as cost of labour rises in London and the South East.
If any of the warning signs at the beginning of this guide seem familiar, you may be in need of rewiring. You can hire a skilled professional to rewire your home here.
